The APC Nominating Committee is in full swing and planning for the 2022-2023 school year! Below is a list of positions we need to fill. Being a part of the Acalanes Parents Club is very rewarding. It is an opportunity to work with an amazing, thoughtfully run organization as well as a chance to help the school, teachers, staff, and students in a variety of ways! Come join the team! If you have any questions, please contact Angela Ketcham, Nominating Committee Lead or anyone from our 2022 Nominating Committee: Sherry Quinn, Kristen Labrosse, Maria Nicolacakis, Jennifer Palmer, Katharine Wallace, Danielle Upp, and Catherine Habas.
Open positions:
President Elect
VP Fundraising
Assistant Treasurer
Secretary
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Liaison
Co-Hospitality Chairs
Grants Coordinator
Volunteer Coordinator
Legislative Representative
Co-Parent Ed. Coordinator
Student Awards Coordinator
Stanley Liaison
APC Spring Grants: Submissions are Open! Applications due Friday, Mar 4. All ideas are welcome. Acalanes Parents Club is pleased to invite all AHS teachers, staff, students, and parents to submit a grant application for programming, materials or projects that enhance the educational experience for our school community. Click here for criteria and application. Completed proposals and questions can be submitted by emailing APC GrantsCoordinator Catherine Habas. Proposals can also be delivered to the APC box in the front office.
AHS Volunteer Service Awards Reminder: Encourage your student to participate!
It’s not too late for students to give back to their community now and be recognized for their efforts by applying for the AHS Volunteer Service Award this spring. Details regarding the program and related forms can be accessed here. Students should log their hours on the application forms as they volunteer. To learn more about the program or where they can volunteer, students can drop by the College & Career Center or contact APC program liaison Amy Norstad with questions or for more information.
APC in Action
Acalanes Community Always (ACA)
2nd Annual ACA STRONG Light Display Monday, Feb 7 through Friday, Mar 4 from 5:30 to 9:30pm
Check out this year’s light display! All Acalanes families and the greater Lafayette community are invited to see ACA spirit on display. Enter campus via the main Acalanes entrance on Stanley Blvd. and exit on Pleasant Hill Road. This year a Photo Class Competition has been added!! Take a photo in front of your lighted class sign and DM via Instagram to ahs@dons. One photo per student or group of students please.The class with the most submitted photos will be invited to an ice cream sandwich social at lunch in March.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Wednesday, Feb 9 at 6pm in the Library. Join us to celebrate Black History Month! Jason Gant will be speaking on Empowering Ourselves to be in Community.
Did you know Oakland native Daveed Diggs, who won a Grammy and a Tony for his role in Hamilton is also the co-creator of Blindspotting? The series, which takes place in the Bay Area, was picked up for a second season.
Up for an inspiring and heart-warming story (and who isn’t these days)? Check out the McBride Sisters, who discovered each other along with their love of wine-making. Their affordable wines have turned their business into the largest Black–owned wine company in the U.S.
Facts corner- Why February? The Association for the Study of African American Life and History sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week ofFebruary to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In the 1960’s its name was updated, and every American president since 1976 has designated February as Black History Month.
Parent Education
Me: (uses “yeet” in a sentence)
14-yr old: “Mom, no one says yeet.”
Me: “yeet is cringe?”
14-yr old: ”MOM NOONE SAYS CRINGE”
Me: “cringe has been yeeted?”
(The glare was EPIC) -Amy L. Blair
Putting one foot in front of the other: If this is a challenge for you lately, you’re not alone. This article from the Greater Good describes a happiness journalist’s struggle with languishing during the pandemic.
If you want to learn more about the culture of addiction and how it impacts your teens, here is a recording from Jessica Lahey’s talk with MVLA-The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.
Finally, if your teen is struggling with academics or feeling down or frustrated about school, don’t forget to connect with our Counselors, our Nurse, and our Wellness Center. Feel free to reach out and connect with us with ideas for future topics, shareable resources, or thoughts at parented@acalanesparentsclub.com.
Student Activities
Student Government/Leadership applications for the 2022-2023 school year are due tomorrow, Monday, Feb 7! They are now available and all current 8, 9, 10, and 11th graders are encouraged to apply. Applications can be found on canvas or the Acalanesleadership website. Students can opt in to run to be a class officer and represent their class or join one of 16 committees. Student Government/Leadership is a wonderful opportunity to serve campus & community while building “soft skills” that will be used in the future.
Black History Month begins NOW!
“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman. We encourage our community to learn about the heritage and achievements of African Americans through appropriate programs and activities that reflect the Black Excellence Month theme for 2022. These events are open to the community:
- Wed, Feb 9 at 6 pm in the Acalanes library. Cal graduate & former athlete Jason Gant will speak about community, showing up as our authentic selves and empowerment.
- Wed, Feb 23 at 6 pm in the Campolindo library Viewing of the movie Selma.
Additional Resources: AUHSD 2022 Resolution-Recognizing & Honoring Black ExcellenceMonth, Support Black Owned Businesses in the Bay Area and Learn about BlackExcellence.
Monday, Feb 7 through Friday, Feb 18, ACAlanes supports the Monument Crisis Center. The Acalanes Community Outreach Board is collecting Monument Crisis Center’s most needed foods- cereal and peanut butter. If you would like to contribute, drop off cereal and peanut butter in front of Acalanes’ main office. Thank you for your support!
An Aca Leader is a role model that shows leadership and plays a big role throughout our school community. Each week, one student who stands out is chosen to be our week’s Aca Leader. This week we are proud to have chosen Karyss Lacanlale, a frosh student on Girls Basketball. Our Aca Leader has made such an impact on their team and represents what an Aca Leader is!
Peek at the Week-
- Monday, Feb 7 ACA Drive-through for the Class of 2026
- Tuesday, Feb 8 at 7pm Boys Soccer Senior Night
- Wednesday Feb 9 at 6pm in the library Jason Gant, Black Excellence Speaker, Mindfulness Coach & equity specialist will be at Acalanes to speak to us about community, showing up as our authentic selves & empowering us to be in community together.
- Thursday Feb 10 Pre-Girls Soccer tailgate at 6:15pm, Girls Soccer Senior Night at 7 pm
- Friday Feb 11 Boys Basketball Senior Night at 7pm
2021-2022 Clubs Anyone can still join a club and now is the perfect time to do so! Check out our 2021-2022 Clubs (clubs highlighted in green are new as of this semester)
Acalanes Spiritwear Looking for Acalanes gear or a welcome gift for the Class of 2026? Look no further! Spiritwear is available for purchase on the Acalanes webstore. You can purchase here and once purchased, you will receive an email with directions for pick-up.
Save the Date-
- Friday, Mar 4 All-school Spring Rally
- Sunday, Mar 27 at 9 am 3rd annual Color Run Fundraiser to support 2023 and 2024 classes. 1.5 mile run through the Acalanes campus with white t-shirts to wear through five color stations where participants will emerge in a rainbow of colors by the end of the run. Open to ALL students in the community. Click here for tickets.
- Saturday, Apr 30 Junior & Senior Prom at Lake Chalet in Oakland
College & Career
Seniors
- Wednesday, Feb 9 DVC Registration- Please have your senior sign up for Levy’s Academy in the library. A DVC admissions officers will be walking students through the registration process and answering questions.
- Scholarship Tips– Send your child to the CCC soon to not miss deadlines.
Juniors
- Outdoor Education- 5th grade camp counselor: Details here.
- Black College Expo– Mark your calendars and register for Saturday, Feb 26 from 10am to 3pm
- CalPoly Humboldt– Read about California’s newest Polytech school.
- College Timeline– Check out these informative tips
- DVC Summer Academies– Earn 1 college unit and get hands–on experience
- Jobs available– Orchard Nursery is looking for weekend cashier support/carry out. There are many other jobs available. Send students to the CCC.
- Out of State College Fair– Wednesday, Mar 23 from 6:30-8:30pm outside at Campolindo. More details to come!
Sophomores/Freshmen
- College Timeline- Here are fun ideas and a timeline by one of my favorite resources- The College Essay Guy.
- NCAA Eligibility– Watch this video to understand NCAA requirements if your student is a strong athlete.
- SAT goes fully Digital in Spring 2024: Click here to read more!
- Resume Development- Have your child reach out to work on creating a resume!
- Volunteer Here are some volunteer options to get you started. Check out the newforms for tracking volunteer service hours for recognized service awards.
- Spring Break Volunteer Opportunity Mexico Service Trip (MVPC) Saturday, Apr 2 through Friday, Apr 8. Learn more by visiting Mexico 2022.
LPIE
Project LPIE is back for a 9th year at Acalanes! Learn more here and encourage your students to register. Project LPIE is an annual event that highlights Acalanes High School students for their project-based learning in 13 categories both within and outside the curriculum. This is a great way for AHS students to showcase their talents and a nice addition for college applications.
Jennifer Palmer and Michele Colaco, Acalanes LPIE School Chairs
www.lpie.org, Follow us on Instagram
Counseling
Counselor assignments are by last name.
A-Dr Anne Schonauer
Du-Kr Christine Todd
Ku-Rog Marissa Meadows
Roh-Z Susan Martin
California Scholarship Federation (CSF) CSF applications are open. Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors should apply. CSF is an honors society that recognizes strong academic performance. Students who have been members for at least 4 semesters receive special recognition. Please see the application for full membership policies. Applications are also available in the Counseling Office from Feb 1 through Feb 28. Turn in forms to the counseling office and email Anne Schonauer with any questions.
School Nurse
February is Heart Healthy Month. Wear RED but EAT GREEN!
Thank you to Acalanes families for continuing to report COVID+ cases to us (especially Attendance), keeping your students home when they are ill, and making sure they have well-fitting masks that they wear correctly.
COVID Vaccine Most students are now eligible to get boosters – PLEASE DO!!! Despite the burden of COVID virus, our community is working hard to stay healthy and the high vaccination rate and observance of health department guidelines makes a significant difference and helps keep students in school learning. If you haven’t yet, please submit your students’ COVID vaccine records.
COVID Isolation, Quarantines and Test Kits The current guidelines for return to school after COVID illness require a negative COVID test (if returning before 10 days). If your student is testing in the School Nurse Office, please make sure they register with Primary Health. School sites do NOT have more test kits to distribute. Please see Principal Shawn’s COVID FAQ’s for more details.
Make sure you always have your proof of vaccination! Try this site- https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/ iPhone users- you can now put your vaccinationrecord in your Apple Health app (and Apple Wallet).
This week’s recipe: No time this week. Used a favorite “hack” for dinner…Veggie burgers in WW pita with organic hummus spread inside and lots of sprouts and greens stuffed in it. I always keep some sauerkraut in my fridge so I’ll have some veggies if I’m out of fresh produce.
Please be in touch with me to discuss any medical, health, or wellness concerns.
Stay healthy and be well,
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org
925-280-2970 x7128
Acalanes School Nurse Google Site
IG: acalanesschoolnurse
Wellness Center
While the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell are common knowledge to most, there is a “sixth sense” that is often overlooked. Interoception is defined as the perception of sensations from inside the body including physical sensations related to internal organ function as well as autonomic nervous system activity related to emotions. By definition, it is easy to understand how this sense of self can contribute to our mental and physical health. Scientists suggest that disruption in interoception is reported in many mental health conditions.
Talk with your student about the importance of tuning into their own bodies and minds. With practice, someone can receive messages that may be below the conscious threshold of perception. Some ways to develop interoception skills:
- a mindfulness practice
- noticing and labeling body language or sensations
- thinking about how these physical sensations relate to our emotions
Here is a link to a short video explaining how interoception works.
(source: sciencealert.com)
